Chapter Thirty-Two: The Last Day

*~*~*~*

"Tonight is the full moon. We should assume that Klaus is prepared to break the curse." Elijah warned Elena, Stefan, Brigs, and Garrett as they all sat around the Salvatore's library the following morning. The tension in the room clear as day-- both from the impending plot of the Original Hybrid and the matter of Brigs having yet to forgive Stefan and Garrett for their hand in her brief imprisonment.

"Elena said that the sun and the moon curse is fake?" Stefan recalled from their conversation late last night. "That it's actually just a curse placed on Klaus."

"Klaus is a vampire born of a werewolf bloodline," Elijah provided the two other men with the short version of his brother's story. "The curse has kept his werewolf aspect from manifesting. But if he breaks it... He'll be a true hybrid."

"Then why are we letting him break the curse?" Damon questioned as he joined them. "We can kill him today. With Bonnie."

"Damon," Stefan shot his brother a warning look.

"No," Elena shot the idea down. "Bonnie can't use that much power without dying."

"I'll write her a great eulogy," Damon shrugged.

"It's not an option, Damon," Elena shook her head.

"Fine," Damon rolled his eyes before turning his focus onto the only witch in the room. "Then we can use Maleficent here. She can work her magic juju and take the extra power from Bonnie to take Klaus out herself. I mean, she's supposed to be immortal, right?"

"Nothing is truly immortal. It would upset the balance of nature." Brigs gave a small shake of her head at the vampire's assumption. "Though it's lovely to see how eager you are to test the theory."

"What can I say? I'm a man of simplicity," Damon offered her a smirk. "But the point is that you could take Klaus out with less of a risk than Bonnie, right?"

"We're not risking Brigs' life on a hunch," Garrett warned the elder Salvatore brother from where he stood by the fireplace. Damon opened his mouth, more than prepared to argue with the older vampire, but before he could get a word out Stefan beat him to it.

"Damon," Stefan cut in before turning his attention back to Elijah to try and move the conversation along. "All right, how do we break this curse?"

"Well, the ritual itself is relatively straightforward. The ingredients, so to speak, you already know." Elijah reminded all of them.

"The moon stone," Stefan nodded.

"A witch will channel the power of the full moon to release the spell that's bound within the stone," Elijah elaborated for them. "After that, Klaus, being both werewolf and vampire, will sacrifice one of each."

"And where do I fit in to it?" Elena asked.

"The final part of the ritual," Elijah explained. "Klaus must drink the blood of the doppelgänger... to the point of your death."

"And that's where you come in," Elena spoke hopefully as Stefan and Brigs each gave her hands a comforting squeeze.

"This is an elixir that I acquired some five hundred years ago for Katerina." Elijah pulled a bottle from the box he'd brought with him that morning. "It possesses mystical properties of resuscitation."

"So I'll be dead?" Elena's brows furrowed.

"And then you won't," Elijah spoke as though it were the most common or ordinary thing to say.

"That's your plan?" Damon scoffed. "A magical witch potion with no expiration date? You want to come back to life, what about John's ring?"

"The Gilbert rings don't work on the supernatural," Brigs reminded him of the flaw with his plan. "As a doppelgänger, Elena is more than likely immune from their powers."

"I'll take those odds over his elixir," Damon argued. "What if it doesn't work, Elena?"

"Then I guess I'll just be dead," Elena gave a small shrug of her shoulders. "Do we know if Klaus has everything he needs to do this? Does he have a werewolf?"

"Klaus has been waiting to break this curse for over a thousand years," Elijah reminded all of them. "If he doesn't already have a werewolf, my guess is by tonight, he will."

"Just great," Damon scoffed before he made a quick exit from the room.

"I'll talk to him," Stefan excused himself before following after his brother.

"You'd think he'd understand why I'm willing to do this," Elena sighed as she watched after the pair of brothers, a frown tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Why are you?" Elijah raised a dark brow at the teenager. Despite her annoyance with the man, Brigs couldn't help but find herself glancing across the room at Garrett-- the pair having both wondered the same question. Wondered why on Earth Elena was so willing to risk her own life for all of them.

"I'm the key to breaking the curse," Elena reminded the Original vampire. "Klaus is here because of me. If I don't stop him, then he's going to hurt people. It's that simple."

"You know, there's a possibility this elixir won't work," Elijah warned her. "I don't want to mislead you."

"I know the chance I'm taking," Elena assured him.

"Elena," Brigs began only to be cut off by the sound of a door slamming. All four of the people still in the room found themselves glancing down the hall in confusion.

"Get out!" They heard Jenna shout.

"Jenna, Jenna!" Garrett was the first one to move at the sound of Alaric's voice. He was blur as he rushed down the hallway with the other three on his tail, all of them being surprised by the sight that greeted them-- Jenna aiming a crossbow at Alaric.

"Get out!" Jenna demanded, her last encounter with the sandy haired man still fresh in her mind.

"Jenna, put the crossbow down, okay? It's me," Alaric insisted as he glanced around at the others, Stefan and Damon coming up behind the group.

"Stay away from me," Jenna glared at the man.

"What's going on?" Elena asked.

"It's me, Elena, I swear, okay?" Alaric insisted, his eyes constantly flickering back to the weapon being aimed at him. "He let me go. Klaus let me go."

"Prove it." Garrett narrowed his eyes at the man as he stood close to Jenna's side.

"Okay, uh..." Alaric struggled to figure out a way to prove who he was until his eyes landed on the witch of the group. "Not long after you and I got together, I spent the night at your place. We weren't paying attention to the fact that we were in the living room and Garrett walked in right when I was about to--"

"It's him." Brigs and Garrett both cut the man off, their eyes widening at the memory they both had wished to forget. Jenna hesitated for a moment before she lowered the weapon, allowing Garrett to take it from her hands.

"Why did he let you go?" Stefan asked the obvious question.

"He wanted me to deliver a message," Alaric glanced around at all of them. "The sacrifice happens tonight."

"It's really you?" Brigs asked as she took a few steps towards the man, stopping when there was just a foot of space between them.

"Yeah, it's me." Alaric nodded as a nervous smile spread across his face. A hesitant smile filled Brigs' lips as she inched closer to him but while the man was expecting a hug he was only greeted by a sharp pain as she slammed her knee into his crotch.

"That's for drugging me and throwing me into a cell."

*~*~*~*

"So you don't remember anything that happened?" Stefan asked once they were all situated in the living room-- Alaric seated on one of the couches while the others were spread out around the room.

"No," Alaric shook his head as he carefully adjusted his legs, still sore from Brigs' assault. "It's like I blacked out and woke up three days later. Katherine was there."

"She's under compulsion," Stefan clued him in. "Damon snuck her some vervain, but she can't leave until Klaus tells her she can."

"Where is Damon?" Elena asked, noticing the absence of the older Salvatore.

"I saw him go upstairs," Jenna offered from her seat beside Garrett. Elena only nodded at her aunt's words before she headed towards the stairs to try and talk to the missing man.

"So what else did I do?" Alaric asked no one in particular.

"Where do you want us to start?" Brigs hummed from her chair, her gaze hard as she eyed her ex. Even if hadn't been responsible for what 'he' had done the last few days, he had been the one there at that dinner party. He had been the one to stab her with a syringe and helped Damon lock her away in a cell. "There was taunting me in the cell, trying to kill Bonnie, and let's not forget exposing Jenna to the supernatural."

"I--" Alaric's stomach dropped at the witch's words. His eyes darting from her to where Jenna was seated. The cold look Garrett had been giving him ever since he'd arrived now making more sense to him. "Jenna, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," Jenna hesitated slightly when she answered. Her eyes danced around the room as she was still working with trying to wrap her head around the idea of the supernatural being real. That the stories her sister had told her growing up weren't just fairy tales meant to try and scare her into behaving. No, instead she now found herself best friends with a thousand-year-old witch while dating a vampire and having her niece being hunted by some vampire-werewolf hybrid.

Completely normal.

"Really, I am," Jenna insisted when she noticed the doubtful looks the others were sending her way (specifically Brigs and Garrett). "I mean, it was definitely a shock, but I'm fine. I promise."

"Now you just need to worry about what centuries old diseases Garrett might give you," Brigs playfully teased. Though her comment was only greeted by a glare from the Sullivan man himself, clearly not amused by her jab.

"Hold on," Jenna's brows furrowed as he focused her attention back on the man by her side. "How old are you, exactly?"

"I don't think that's a question that we need to worry about right now. Not with everything else going on at the moment," Garrett gave a small shake of his head at the blonde's curiosity.

Ever since the day before, Garrett had felt tenser than he ever had before in his long life. For months he had been hiding the truth from Jenna as to what he really was-- just as Brigs had been doing for the last few years. When Stefan had told him about Klaus' stunt with Jenna it had sent him into a state of fear and panic. Fear of how the woman he had come to love would react to the truth. He had been prepared for her to kick him to the curb when she learned the truth and was honestly surprised that it hadn't already happened. But no matter how many reassurances Jenna offered, he was still in a constant state of worry-- waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Oh, come on," Jenna gave him a small nudge in the side. "Just ballpark it. Or maybe compromise and tell me how long you've known Brigs?"

"Actually, that number's identical to how long he's been a vampire," Brigs shared with her curious friend. "Garrett and I met not long after he woke back up into this life."

"How'd you guys meet?" Jenna wondered.

"Actually he--" Brigs began.

"Elena!" Stefan's eyes seemed to double in size as he and Garrett both rushed out of the room and toward the stairs. Jenna and Alaric weren't far behind the pair of vampires, confused and worried about what had suddenly sparked such a reaction. However, Brigs lingered in the living room as she spared a glance at where Elijah still stood behind the couch Alaric had just been sitting on.

"Do I want to know what happened?" A small sigh escaped her as her mind wandered with the possibilities of what had happened to Elena while she was alone upstairs with Damon.

"I don't believe I can recall a time in which you didn't wish to be in the know." Despite the circumstances a faint chuckle escaped Elijah's lips at the woman's question.

"Well?" Brigs pressed, biting back a number of comments that weren't too polite.

"Damon appears to have taken matters in his own hands rather than having faith in my resources." Even without him saying the exact words, Brigs knew full well what Elijah was saying. Damon had forced Elena to drink his blood, knowing full well that it wouldn't be able to leave her system before the sacrifice was due to take place. He had taken matters into his own hands by forcing a life of immortality upon Elena.

A scowl filled Brigs' lips as she heard someone coming down the stairs. Both she and Elijah glanced towards the doorway as Damon strode through it, making a beeline for the bottle of bourbon he kept on the table behind the couch.

"Well, it sounds like you won't be needing this anymore. Feeding her vampire blood rendered it useless." Elijah spoke dryly, his dark gaze constantly shifting between the witch and younger vampire before him— more than prepared to intercede if Brigs tried something foolish. "Tell Elena I'll be back before nightfall. We'll proceed as planned."

"We all know that elixir wouldn't have worked anyway." Damon muttered sourly before taking a sip of his drink. Brigs' hands were balled up into fists at her sides as she glared daggers at the raven haired man before her. A mixture of spells and swears filled her mind, an array of possible ways to kill him seeming all too appealing in that moment. To make him pay for the life he had forced upon Elena without allowing her the choice.

"The problem, Damon: you talk a good game but you don't actually know anything. She'll never forgive you." Elijah warned the Salvatore as his gaze rested upon Brigs once more, knowing all too well how it felt to have the one you loved hate or resent you for so long. "And never for a vampire...It's a very long time."

*~*~*~*

"So Elijah's plan is to let Niklaus go through with the sacrifices," Brigs pointed out as she followed Alaric and Garrett towards the Grill-- both men having insisted she join them in order to give Stefan and Elena some time alone to process what Damon had done.

"Your point?" Garrett raised a brow at his best friend, curious as to where her mind was at the moment. He had to admit, he was impressed that she hadn't attacked Damon the moment he went downstairs after forcing his blood down Elena's throat. He had half excepted to find the elder Salvatore brother with a stake through his heart.

"Why not offer Damon up as the vampire sacrifice?" Brigs suggested, earning a chuckle from Garrett and a look of disbelief from Alaric. "Don't give me that look, Alaric. We all know that things would be a lot simpler if Damon was taken out in all of this too."

"Perhaps, but that's not the plan." Garrett patted her on the shoulder before holding the door to the Grill open for her.

"Spoil sport," she muttered under her breath. It didn't take the trio long before they spotted Damon sitting at the bar as the bartender poured him a glass of bourbon.

"I'll have the same," Alaric told the bartender as he took a seat to Damon's right.

"Another here and the lady will take a water." Garrett added as he claimed to the stool on Alaric's other side while Brigs took the one to Damon's left.

"I screwed up." Damon said before any of them could get a word in.

"Yeah. Yeah, you did," Alaric nodded.

"Majorly," Brigs added.

"Gentlemen? Ma'am?" Brigs could feel her entire body tense at the sound of the familiar accented voice coming from her left. Just watching the way Garrett's eyes turned cold and his jaw locked she knew that she wasn't imagining the voice. "Why so glum?"

"Ugh," Damon groaned when he looked over the woman's shoulder to see a blonde haired man standing there. "Klaus, I presume."

"In the flesh." Klaus grinned before glancing towards Alaric. "Thanks for the loaner, mate."

"Any reason you stopped by the say hi?" Damon questioned as he got up from his seat, as did the other two men. Only Brigs remained seated as she stared at the glass of water sitting in front of her. Unable to bring herself to look at the hybrid behind her.

"I'm told you and your brother fancy my doppelgänger. Just thought I'd remind you to not do anything you'll regret," Klaus gave a small shrug of his shoulders before his gaze flickered to the witch before him. "And what kind of brother would I be if I didn't check in on my sister?"

"Sister-in-law." Brigs didn't waste a second in correcting him. "And even that's a stretch, Niklaus."

"Lovely as always, Brigitta." Klaus mused as he smiled down at the woman.

"I don't supposed I could talk you into a postponement, by any chance, huh?" Damon drew the hybrid's attention back to himself with his question.

"You are kidding," Klaus chuckled before sparing a glance at the other two men. "He is kidding, right?"

"No," Garrett gave a small shake of his head.

"Not really," Alaric admitted, his eyes trained on the Turner woman still staring blankly at her water.

"I mean, come on, what's one month in the whole grand scheme of things?" Damon tried to reason with the Original.

"Let me be clear-- I have my vampire. I have my werewolf. I have everything I need," Klaus assured the group. "The ritual will happen tonight. So if you want to live to see tomorrow, don't screw it up."

"You okay?" Garrett's voice was soft, moving to Brigs' side the moment Klaus walked away, making a beeline for the exit. All Brigs could bring herself to do was nod, her lips pressed into a thin line as she tried to shake the feeling of dread that Klaus' presence had brought forth.

"That was fun," Damon sighed as he plopped back down on his stool.

"You're gonna screw it up, aren't you?" Alaric guessed.

"You think if I took his werewolf out of the equation, she might... get over the fact that I tried to turn her into a vampire?" Damon wondered aloud.

"I think it won't matter because you'll be dead," Alaric pointed out the flaw in his plan.

"But without the werewolf, he can't perform the ritual tonight, which means I would have bought her one month before the next full moon." Damon argued.

"But you'll still be dead," Alaric stressed.

"You say that like it's the worst thing in the world." Brigs spoke up, focusing her dark eyes on the icy eyed vampire. "I think it's safe to say that this is one of his better plans."

"Thank you," Damon offered the witch a lazy smile before turning back to the hunter. "Are you gonna help me or what?"

*~*~*~*

"Remind me why you left Katerina alive?" Brigs practically hissed the words at Damon as she followed him through the woods. After their little conversation at the Grill he'd paid a visit to Alaric's apartment to talk to the Petrova woman. However the visit hadn't gone as expected with him finding out that Caroline and Tyler were the vampire and werewolf Klaus was planning to sacrifice.

"'Cause she's not totally useless yet," Damon shrugged as the entrance to the tomb came into sight. "Since when are you so murder happy?"

"I don't know, when'd you become a jealous lovesick idiot?" She countered with a raised brow.

"I know you are, but what am I?" Damon countered with a childish grin. Brigs couldn't help but scoff at the unoriginal taunt as they reached the top of the stairs that led down into the tomb. Before either of them could begin their descent though they were greeted by an unfamiliar voice.

"Which one are you trying to save? The blonde or the wolf?" The pair turned around, finding themselves coming face to face with Klaus' warlock, Maddox. "Did you really think Klaus would leave them unprotected?"

"Well, Niklaus never was too detail-oriented when we were young." Brigs recalled, not surprised that the hybrid had changed in that aspect.

"Wishful thinking," Damon shrugged. In the blink of an eye he rushed forward, grabbing Maddox by the neck and slamming him to the ground. The position only lasted for a few moments though before Damon was sent flying backwards from the warlock's magic.

Cries of pain escaped the Salvatore as he laid on the ground, feeling as though his head were on fire from the repeated aneurysms he was suffering through. Brigs narrowed her eyes slightly as she glanced between the two men before then looking towards the stairs.

"I wouldn't do that." Maddox warned the older witch when he spotted her inching towards the stairs. "I'd hate to have to kill your friend because you can't listen."

"Who said he was my friend?" Brigs countered just as a gunshot rang through the air. The witch jumped slightly at the sound, her eyes widening-- not at the sight of Maddox's body falling to the ground but from the sight of Matt standing behind him with a gun in hand. "Matt?"

"What are you doing here?" Damon questioned the sandy haired teen as he got back up to his feet.

"Where's Caroline?" Matt ignored the question with one of his own.

"Listen, man. Not a good time to play the hero," Damon warned him.

"Where is she?" Matt asked again, this time cocking and aiming the gun at the vampire. "And what did he do to her?"

"Matt," Brigs raised her hands as she moved to stand between Damon and the gun.

"Aw, and I thought I wasn't your friend." Damon attempted to joke.

"Not the time, vagga rånare." Brigs hissed in warning before focusing her attention back on the armed teen in front of her. "Just take a deep breath, okay? Damon and I are just here to rescue her. You know me, Matty. You know I'd never let him hurt her."

"About that..." Damon trailed off before speeding around the witch. In the blink of an eye he tore the gun from Matt's grasp and hit him in the head with it.

"Really?" Brigs scowled at the sight of Matt's freshly unconscious body now resting at her feet.

"What? I already screwed up once today," Damon shrugged as he emptied the gun. His brows furrowed at the sight of the wooden bullets the boy had been using. "You got any ideas on this?"

"I didn't tell him," Brigs shook her head.

"Hundred bucks Barbie did." Damon wagered as he headed down the stairs, leaving the witch to follow after him.

"You're wrong," Brigs was quick to disagree as she followed behind him.

"Damon? Brigs?" Caroline's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the pair making their way into the tomb.

"Your boyfriend's outside with a rifle loaded with wooden bullets." Damon informed the blonde as he knelt down to help her with her shackles while Brigs moved to do the same for Tyler. "You have some explaining to do."

"What, Matt?" Caroline questioned in disbelief.

"Matt knows about you?" Tyler asked.

"No, I--" Caroline started to shake her head.

"I told you that she didn't tell him," Brigs shot Damon a smirk. "You owe me a hundred bucks."

"Tomorrow's problem," Damon waved it off. "Let me just get you out of here."

"Are you okay?" Brigs turned her focus to Tyler as she got the second shackle off of him.

"Yeah," Tyler nodded.

"It's good to see you, kid." Brigs offered the Lockwood boy a smile, pulling him into a brief hug once he was on his feet. "We were worried about you."

"It's getting dark soon. How fast can you get the hell away from here?" Damon questioned the young werewolf.

"I need to get to my family's cellar," Tyler told him. "I can lock myself up."

"I'll help," Caroline offered.

"Okay," Damon gave a small nod of approval before turning his attention the witch amongst the group. "You go ahead to the witch house, okay? Let them know what's going on."

"You sure you can play nice?" Brigs raised a brow, well aware of the Salvatore man's track record with her friends.

"Pinky promise," Damon rolled his eyes. "Now go."

*~*~*~*

Brigs found herself standing outside the once abandoned house in the woods. Her arms crossed tightly over her chest as she waited for the others to arrive, Bonnie and Jeremy busy looking through grimoires in the basement-- desperate for any way to keep Elena from becoming a vampire during the sacrifice. The witch's ears perked up at the sight of an SUV pulling up through the trees, coming to a stop only a few feet from where she stood.

"You all certainly took your time." Brigs commented as she watched Elijah, Alaric, Garrett, and Stefan climb out of the vehicle.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, love." Garrett chuckled at his friend's impatience.

"The sacrifice is completed in stages as the full moon sets. First the werewolf is killed, then the vampire." Elijah briefed the group, choosing to ignore the flirty greeting between the pair of friends. "Finally the doppelgänger. Once Elena dies, the curse will be broken. Klaus will become a hybrid."

"So when do we attack?" Alaric asked.

"Elena's death will activate his dormant werewolf side," Elijah reminded them. "He'll be vulnerable during the transformation. That's when Bonnie comes in."

"And you're sure Bonnie will survive this?" Stefan asked, remembering his girlfriend's biggest concern.

"I'll be right there by her side. Bonnie will be fine." Brigs interjected, not about to let them leave her out of it all. Not when several of her friends' lives were at risk.

"And if they can deliver him to the brink of death, I'll finish the job myself," Elijah added. Even if Brigs was supposedly immortal herself, he was not about to risk his wife's life over his brother.

"Damon." Stefan excused himself to answer his phone.

"Where's Jenna?" Brigs asked Garrett as they both headed inside, leaving Elijah and Alaric to wait outside for Stefan.

"Home," Garrett shrugged, tossing his bag onto the old couch in the back room. "We both agreed it was best for her to be away from all of this."

"So she's really handling all of this?" She lightly pressed. "No complete freak outs?"

"No. She's actually handling all of this a lot better than I thought she would," he admitted. "We were talking earlier..."

"Oh, that's never good," she teased.

"Can I finish?" He rolled his eyes, only speaking again when she pretended to zip her lips shut. "As I was saying, we were talking earlier about everything and she said that she really wants to get to know the real me. So I suggested I show her where I come from and she agreed. We're going to take a trip to England this summer, just the two of us."

"I feel like that last part was a bit of a jab, but I'm happy for you guys." She offered him a small smile. "I consider you and Jenna to each be two of my closest friends and I'm happy to see both of you happy... together. You both really deserve it."

"Thanks," he returned the smile with one of his own. "You know, you deserve that too. To be happy again."

"Maybe one day," she sighed.

"Hey, uh..." Stefan cleared his throat as he joined the pair, Alaric slipping past all of them to get to the basement. As he went though neither of them missed the sad look Alaric sent their way.

"What's going on?" Brigs' brows furrowed as she looked back at Stefan.

"I, uh, need to talk to Garrett and Elijah was hoping he could have a word with you." Stefan nodded back towards the front of the house.

"It's fine," Garrett patted Brigs on the shoulder when she hesitated to move from his side. "I'll see you in a minute."

"All right," Brigs spared Stefan one last look before heading back outside. As she slipped out the front door she found herself greeted by the sight of Elijah looking up at the dark sky. His hands hidden inside his coat pockets, as if chilled by the slight evening breeze.

"You always loved watching the stars. Always insisted on staying outside until you were half asleep just to stare up at them. I can't remember how many times I had to carry you inside," Elijah recalled as she came to a stop beside him.

"It was never the stars that kept me outside that late." She admitted, her voice no more than a whisper. As she spoke she kept her own gaze focused on the sky overhead; ignoring the feeling of his eyes burning into the side of her head when she spoke again. "I was waiting on you. It just so happened that I fell asleep before you came home nearly every night."

"Brigitta..." A frown pulled at the corners of his lips at her words.

"Stefan said you had something to tell me?" She quickly changed the subject. "Was Damon able to get through to your psychotic brother? Did our stunt with Caroline and Tyler actually work?"

"You did save their lives, but my brother seems to have had a plan B," he shared with her. "He had another werewolf and vampire ready to sacrifice."

"Who?" Her brows furrowed at the news.

"I'm not sure about the werewolf, but the vampire... it appears that he's taken Jenna." Elijah didn't allow himself to beat around the bush any longer. Partially due to the fact that he could hear Stefan and Garrett arguing over the matter inside-- the latter demanding answers.

At the sound of her friend's name, Brigs felt as though her stomach had dropped clear from her body. Her mind going blank in the struggle to process the news. The news that one of her dearest friends had had her humanity ripped away from her without a choice and was now in the hands of a murderous psychopath. One that had no plans for her but to rip her heart out in a matter of hours, at most.

"No," she managed to choke out, shaking her head as denial flooded her veins. "No, this isn't happening. You're lying."

"He told Katerina who told Damon." His heart broke, watching the way her hands trembled slightly as she shook her head, refusing to accept the fact that her friend likely wouldn't live to see the morning. "I'm sorry, Brigitta."

"N-No," her voice broke as tears started to slip down her face. "She can't die."

*~*~*~*

"Why did he take Jenna?" Bonnie questioned as she stood outside with Stefan and Elijah. The trio having left the house to give Alaric time to help Jeremy process the news while Brigs had hurried to Garrett's side in hopes of comforting her friend over his-- their-- impending loss.

"A punishment for meddling." Elijah simplified in, half his attention focused on the sound of Garrett and Brigs' tearful discussion taking place inside.

"Klaus was going to use Tyler and Caroline. But Damon and Brigs rescued them," Stefan informed the Bennett witch.

"Then we need to go," Bonnie told them. "Now. Before Jenna's been sacrificed. I can kill Klaus myself."

"Bonnie... If you use that much power, you'll be dead," Stefan reminded her. "We're already been through this. It's not an option."

"Neither is letting Jenna die," Bonnie countered.

"Well, Stefan would agree with you." Elijah chimed in as he eyed the younger vampire's conflicted expression.

"We're going to offer another vampire. One that he'll want more," Stefan admitted to the witch. "Me."

*~*~*~*

Brigs wiped her tears away with the back of her hand as she stepped outside the house again, Garrett having asked her for a few minutes alone. She had no doubt that she looked like a mess, her eyes red and her makeup smudged from crying, but it was the last thing on her mind. Instead her mind kept circling around the matter at hand. How Stefan had volunteered to hand himself over to Klaus to take Jenna's place.

"Hey," she muttered in greeting when she spotted Stefan standing outside, staring off into the dark woods surrounding them. He only turned his gaze away from the scenery at the sound of her voice, surprised to find her away from Garrett's side.

"Hey," he offered her a half-hearted smile. "How're you and Garrett holding up?"

"Bonnie's has the right plan, you know." She ignored his question as she wrapped her arms around herself. "We could take Niklaus out right now."

"That would kill h--" He started to argue.

"I'm not talking about sending her," she cut him off. "I could borrow the surplus magic she got from the ancestors and take care of him myself. Then you wouldn't have to give yourself up to save Jenna. Everyone would be okay... except Niklaus."

"There's still a risk you could die doing that," he pointed out.

"I won't," she insisted. "My life is linked with Elijah's. As long as he's alive then I'll be fine."

"You've said it yourself, that's just a theory. We don't know that for sure," he argued. "I'm not letting you risk your life. That's not what Elena wanted us to do."

"And Elena didn't want you or Jenna to die either," she countered.

"Bonnie did a locator spell." Elijah announced to the pair as he joined them, bringing an end to their previous conversation. "They're at Steven's Quarry."

"I'll head over there first and you'll follow with Bonnie and Brigs when it's time," Stefan told the other vampire.

"Just as the moon hits its final phase," Elijah agreed. "They're to stay hidden until then. He cannot know that Bonnie's alive."

"Or we could leave Bonnie out of it all together and let me handle this myself," Brigs suggested.

"We already decided," Stefan reminded the Turner woman.

"Then I guess it was also decided that you're all idiots." Brigs muttered sourly as she headed back inside.

"You're very honorable." Elijah met the Salvatore man's gaze. At the older vampire's words Stefan found himself hesitant to head off towards the Quarry, running over the words in his head.

"Are you?" Stefan couldn't help but ask. "Because this whole plan is, um, it's contingent upon your honor, Elijah."

"I won't fail you," Elijah assured him.

"Klaus is your brother. I know I've wanted to kill my bother a thousand times. I've never been able to," Stefan confessed.

"Well, Klaus was not my only brother. I had siblings, parents... a wife. I had a family," Elijah told him. "Over the centuries, Klaus hunted them down one by one and he took them from me. He scattered them across the seas where their bodies couldn't be found. For years he left me to believe that my wife was dead."

"You want revenge," Stefan realized.

"Sometimes there's honor in revenge, Stefan," Elijah defended his choices. "I won't fail you."

"Please end this," Stefan begged him one last time before disappearing into the trees.

*~*~*~*

"He did what?" Damon questioned in disbelief. Having arrived at the old house just to be told about his little brother's "genius" plan.

"He wasn't going to let Jenna die," Alaric offered Stefan's reasoning.

"We have a witch-- two witches." Damon gestured to where Brigs stood alongside Garrett at the side of the room. "They kill Klaus. No one has to die!"

"I offered," Brigs assured the elder Salvatore.

"Except for Bonnie and Brigs," Alaric pointed out the flaw in the plan.

"God, Stefan, damn it!" Damon swore. Letting his anger overtake him as he punched a hole in the wall beside him. He was still seething as he looked around the room, his gaze landing on the other vampire amongst the quartet. "What about you? Why didn't you go offer yourself up on a silver platter? I mean, you're supposed to be in love with Jenna, right?"

"Oh, he wanted to," Brigs assured him.

"Then why didn't he?" Damon pressed.

"I can't leave the house." Garrett practically hissed, his eyes narrowing as he glanced towards his best friend. The witch having cast a boundary spell on the house the moment she had finished processing the news earlier.

"And you couldn't pull that on Stefan?" Damon scowled. "Well, that's my brother for you. Always cleaning up my messes."

*~*~*~*

"Hello, Jenna." Klaus focused his gaze on the Sommers woman as he approached the ring of fire Greta had trapped her in at the quarry. At the sound of her name Jenna tore her gaze away from the ground to look at the curly haired man. Elena scrambled to her feet at the sight of him approaching her aunt, panic shooting through her body.

"Let her go," Elena begged Klaus. "I understand that I have to die, but she doesn't!"

"Careful." Klaus taunted as the flames around Elena flared in warning of her getting too close to the boundary.

"Elena, don't," Jenna shot her niece a warning look.

"No, Jenna! We can't leave Jeremy without a family," Elena argued, refusing to just hand her aunt over for slaughter. "I followed your rules, I did everything that you asked. I didn't run. Please."

"Well, well. I don't recall you being on the guest list." Klaus tore his attention away from the pair of women at the sound of someone else joining them. His gaze lifted to the top of the quarry, finding Stefan standing there.

"I'm here to talk." Stefan spoke calmly from where he stood, making no move to head down himself.

"Very well, then." Klaus agreed before speeding up to the top of the quarry, leaving Jenna and Elena below to just watch. "What can I do for you, Mr. Salvatore?"

"You don't need to kill Jenna. I'll take her place," Stefan offered outright.

"Oh, I don't know. I rather appreciate the symmetry of three women-- three goddesses-- sacrificed at nature's altar." Klaus mused as he eyed the scene below them.

"Don't play games with me," Stefan scowled at the Original. "You'll get what you want."

"You're quite the hero, aren't you?" Klaus eyed the young vampire before him, almost sounding impressed by Stefan's act of self-sacrifice. "I've heard that about you. I'm sure it's why you and my dear sister get along so well."

"Just make the trade. Me for Jenna," Stefan pressed.

*~*~*~*

"We're ready," Damon alerted Elijah as he made his way up from the basement with Bonnie in tow.

"It's time," Elijah nodded to Alaric.

"All right. I got the weapons in the car," Alaric told them.

"Brigs and Bonnie are the only weapons we need," Elijah assured the hunter before glancing around. Noticing the absence of a certain someone. "Where is Brigs?"

"Another good question, where's Garrett?" Damon questioned, noticing the other vampire was nowhere in sight despite the claim that Brigs had trapped him inside with a boundary spell.

"They're gone?" Bonnie's brows furrowed at the news. Confused as to why they would both leave when they had a plan— a plan to try and save both Jenna and Elena's lives.

"They must've gone ahead," Alaric frowned as he hurried to follow the others out the front door. When he reached the doorway though he found himself being stopped by an invisible barrier. "Bonnie! What is this?"

"I can't put anyone else at risk," Bonnie shook her head as she looked back at him.

"I can't stay here with Brigs out there!" Alaric argued.

"Relax, Maleficent can take care of herself," Damon reminded him.

"Jenna's in trouble. You really think Brigs is gonna be worried about herself right now?" Alaric scoffed at the thought. Anyone that knew Brigs well enough knew that she would always put those she cared about above herself. "You can't do this! No! Bonnie!"

The hunter's shouts were only met with silence as the group continued to head away from the house. Leaving him trapped inside with Jeremy and John. Leaving the three men behind to wait for news... to wait to see who would come back alive.

*~*~*~*

"Quite the predicament. You know, it's funny, all this talk about preserving family, and here's Stefan, granting your wish." A smirk rested on Klaus' lips as he made his way back down the quarry to where Elena and Jenna rested, Stefan trailing along right behind him.

"Stefan..." Elena frowned at the sight of her boyfriend. The last thing she had ever wanted was for anyone she loved to wind up hurt, or worse, because of her.

"It's okay." Stefan tried to reassure her, offering a weak smile.

"Well," Klaus cleared his throat as he pointed a wooden dagger between Stefan and Jenna. "Who's it going to be, Elena?"

"No." Elena shook her head, refusing to make a decision. Refusing to damn her aunt or her boyfriend to death.

"Oh, don't worry. There's actually no choice." A wicked grin took over Klaus' features as he rushed around Stefan, stabbing the stake into his back. A cry of pain escaped the Salvatore man's lips as he fell to the ground.

"No! Stefan! No!" Elena's eyes widened in horror, wishing for some way to be able to get past the flames circling around her. Wanting nothing more than to be able to rush to Stefan's side.

"I have other plans for your boyfriend. I want him alive." Klaus assured the doppelgänger as he ripped the stake out of Stefan's back, leaving a sizable chunk of wood behind to keep the younger vampire down before going the extra mile to snap his neck. "Whenever you're ready, Greta."

The young witch started to chant the next part of her spell. Her words causing the flames around Jenna to fade into nothing more than smoke. Panic shot through Elena's body while fear overtook Jenna's. The newly changed vampire's eyes were wide as she stared at the hybrid standing over her.

"No," Elena uselessly begged for her aunt's life.

"Your turn," Klaus taunted the Sommers woman.

"No, Jenna, no!" Elena screamed as she paced anxiously along the flames. Jenna's eyes flickered towards her niece, her heart breaking at the sight of the fear and panic filling the teen's features.

Jenna opened her mouth, ready to try and offer the teen some words of reassurance. Before she could get a word out though they were greeted by the sight of Klaus being knocked to the ground by another figure. For a moment the two women only saw blurs as Klaus fought against his attacker. When the pair's movements finally started to slow though it was Jenna that recognized the newcomer first.

"Garrett!" Jenna called out her boyfriend's name in disbelief. She moved to hurry forward, only to be stopped by the flames reappearing around her, Greta's chanting having ceased. A cry escaped the blonde's lips as she jumped backwards at the sudden heat. The sound itself gained Garrett's attention, his dark eyes flickering towards his girlfriend in worry.

"Jenna!" Even from where Garrett stood, his body hovering over the hybrid, he could see the veins underneath the woman's eyes. Just another reminder of his failure. A reminder of the fact that he had been unable to keep his promise of protecting her.

"Ah, so you're her Romeo?" Klaus chuckled as he shoved the younger vampire off of him with relative ease. Amusement played in the Original's eyes as he stalked towards the Sullivan vampire. He was only a couple feet away when he was greeted by the feeling of a rock slamming against his back. The large stone crumbled upon impact, causing him to turn his attention towards the latest newcomer. "I should've known you wouldn't be able to keep away."

"You should've stayed away, Niklaus." Venom coated every word that escaped Brigs' lips as she glared at the man she had once considered family. A brother by marriage; someone that had promised to always be on her side.

"Oh, you know I couldn't do that." Klaus gave a small shake of his head. His eyes flickered over the witch's shoulder at where Greta stood by the small alter they had set up for the sacrifice.

"If you know what's good for you, you'd walk away right now, Niklaus. You'll leave town and never look back. Never go after Elena and my friends again." Brigs warned him, her fingers itching with magic.

"Or there's option B." Klaus countered.

"Brigs!"

"Garrett!"

Elena and Jenna shouted simultaneously, each of them catching sight of things that the witch and vampire didn't. Klaus and Greta both moved at the same time. The young witch sent a dagger flying through the air while Klaus pulled a fresh stake from his jacket. It was just as the cool metal of the dagger's blade ripped through the smooth flesh of Brigs' neck that the stake drove itself through Garrett's chest.

"No!" A scream ripped through Jenna's lips at the sight of Garrett's skin starting to turn gray. Tears welled up in her eyes as his head fell to the side, allowing Garrett to look towards his girlfriend one last time. Three words rested on the tip of his tongue, though they were never able to pass his lips as a glassy look overtook his features.

Elena's heart broke at the sound of despair escaping her aunt's lips. Though she kept her own attention focused on Brigs, watching as the witch fell to the ground. Blood poured from the wound to her neck, the blade still driven into her flesh. As unidentifiable gargles of noise escaped the witch's lips blood trickled down her chin. Her chocolate orbs trained on where her friend's body rested. Silent pleas for him to wake up filling her mind, not wanting to believe that he was truly gone.

"Now that that's taken care of." Klaus didn't appear to be fazed in the slightest as he stepped over Garrett and Brigs' bodies to get to Jenna. The fair haired woman's gaze was still fixated on her boyfriend's corpse. Still in shock from witnessing his murder; she didn't think to fight against the hybrid as he wrapped a large hand around her arm.

"Jenna, no!" Tears continued to spill down Elena's face, only able to watch as Klaus dragged her aunt towards the makeshift altar. At the sound of Elena's voice, Jenna finally tore her gaze way from Garrett's body to look towards her niece. It was then that Elena was able to she the devastation and fear playing in her aunt's eyes. "Just turn it off, Jenna. Turn it off. You won't be scared anymore."

Jenna squeezed her eyes shut tightly just as Stefan's opened. The Salvatore brother craned his neck to get a look at where Klaus stood over Jenna, the woman now resting on a large slab of rock. Only able to watched as Klaus drove a stake through her heart without the slightest hesitation.

"No! Jenna! Jenna!" Elena screamed as she watched the light and life drain from her aunt's body. Stefan felt as though someone had stabbed him yet again at the sound. His hands scratched at his back, trying to pry the chunk of wood from his back but it was futile.

"No," Stefan whispered in disbelief as he caught sight of where Garrett and Brigs' bodies resided amongst the chaos. His leafy eyes flickered towards his girlfriend, finding her looking his way. "I'm so sorry."

Elena only raised a finger to her lips to silence Stefan. Not wanting to risk Klaus doing him any further harm— not after what she'd just witnessed. Not after seeing what he was capable of having done to his own sister-in-law.

"Are they going to kill him?" Elena's voice was no more than a whisper as she glanced back over at Brigs' body. Well aware of how big a role she was supposed to have in Klaus' death.

"Yes," Stefan gave a minuscule nod. Elena only nodded, finding slight solace in the news. Knowing that Klaus would be forced to pay for what he had done to Jenna and Garrett.

"It's time." Klaus announced as he approached Elena. The final circle of flames disappeared, allowing him to hold his hand out to her. For a moment Elena only stared at it before pushing herself up to her feet. Refusing his help as she walked right past him to the altar. As she took her place at the altar she couldn't help but look over at her aunt's body. Her attention was only pulled away from it by Klaus as he joined her side, turning her head to look at him with one hand. "Thank you, Elena."

"Go to hell." Elena spat at him.

Stefan tried to push himself up to his feet only to fall right back down, unable to make any move to defend Elena. Knowing full well that the last thing she wanted was to come back as a vampire. Still, he could only watch as Klaus sank his teeth into Elena's neck. Veins sprouted underneath his eyes as he fed from the girl, having to wrap an arm around her shoulders to keep her upright. Elena's eyelids slowly fluttered shut, her body going limp as Klaus drained the last of her blood from her body.

With the doppelganger's body running dry, Klaus released his hold on her body, allowing it to fall to his feet. Blood dripped from the corners of his mouth as the flame in the bowl beside him extinguished.

"I can feel it. It's happening." Klaus turned his gaze up the full moon overhead. His bones starting to crack one by one as his wolf side started to take over-- finally able to transform after centuries of being smothered. His eyes flashed a bright yellow color while veins remained underneath. "Yes! Yes!"

As quickly as the transformation had begun, a chill ran through the air. Klaus' grin vanished as he was thrown back through the air. The flames in the bowl reignited, causing Greta to jump back in shock. Her eyes flitted towards Brigs only to find the older witch's body still lying there lifelessly. It was then that she noticed Bonnie coming down the hillside, chanting a spell as she stalked closer to the scene. Before Greta had a chance to stop the Bennett witch, Damon acted-- speeding behind the woman and snapping her neck in one fluid motion.

"Phasmatos infero eseri gratas, disasustos vom, mas pro je ta sue te. Victamas veras. Phasmatos tribum, niha sue exilum, disasustos vorm, mas pro je ta sue te. Levam, mina sue te, disasustos vom, mas pro je ta sue te." Bonnie continued to chant the spell as Damon took the chance to pick up Elena's limp body. As he did so he couldn't help but take in the rest of the scene around him-- noticing Jules, Brigs, Garrett, and Jenna's bodies as splayed around the quarry.

"No! You were dead!" Klaus screamed as Bonnie continued her spell. His body starting to contort into painful shapes as his scream.

"Elena," Stefan whispered as Damon laid Elena's body down beside him. He gently reached out to touch her arm, sucking in a sharp breath as Damon tore the piece of wood from his back to allow it to heal. "I need you to get her out of here!"

"What about you?" Damon frowned at his brother, confused as to why he didn't take Elena himself.

"I'm not leaving until he's dead. Go!" Stefan urged. Damon didn't waste another moment in picking Elena back up and rushing away from the quarry-- silently hoping that John and Bonnie's spell would really save her from waking up as a vampire.

As Damon and Elena disappeared from sight, Elijah finally made his way into the quarry. From the moment he stepped into the space his eyes went not to his brother but to his wife. A deep frown settling on his face as he approached Brigs' bloodied body. His eyes landed on the familiar dagger embedded in her neck, remembering the handle from the many times his brother had stabbed an identical dagger into the hearts of himself and their siblings.

"I'm sorry." Elijah whispered to her deaf ears as he carefully withdrew the dagger from her neck. The knowledge that she would wake again with time only offered him so much comfort; knowing how much pain she would be forced to face with the death of one of her closest friends.

"Elijah?" Klaus looked at his older brother in disbelief.

"Hello, brother." Elijah returned the greeting as he stood back up, forcing himself to walk away from Brigs and told his brother. Once he reached him he swiftly dove his hand into Klaus' chest, forming a tight grasp on his heart. "In the name of our family, Niklaus..."

"I didn't bury them at sea!" Niklaus choked out before Elijah could carry through with ripping out his heart.

"What?" Confusion overtook Elijah's features at these words.

"Their bodies are safe," Klaus told him. "If you kill me, you'll never find them."

"Elijah! Don't listen to him!" Stefan shouted at the Original from where he stood beside Bonnie.

"Elijah, I can take you to them. I give you my word, brother." Klaus tried to bargain with him. Elijah's brows furrowed slightly as he glanced back over at where Stefan and Bonnie stood, only a few feet from where Brigs lay.

"Do it and I'll take you both out." Bonnie threatened, noticing the Original's hesitance.

"You'll die," Elijah reminded her.

"I don't care." Bonnie stood her ground before adding, "It's what Brigs would want."

"I'm sorry." Elijah wasn't speaking to the pair in front of him, but rather to his temporarily deceased wife. Knowing exactly what his next action would do to whatever shred of relationship they still had.

"No!" Stefan and Bonnie both shouted, but it was too late.

They were gone.

*~*~*~*

Alaric still stood in the doorway of the house as the sun started to make its rise with the new day. His eyes trained on the wilderness ahead, scanning for any sign of the others returning. Scanning for any sign of Brigs coming back. His mind hadn't left her from the moment they realized that she had snuck off with Garrett without anyone noticing. Even if she was supposedly immortal, he couldn't help but worry about her and what lengths she would go to to try and protect those she loved.

"We should have heard from them by now," he muttered to himself. He glanced over his shoulder at the sound of someone coming up from the basement, finding both John and Jeremy joining him on the main floor. His brows furrowed as he watched John hand his Gilbert ring and a letter over to the teenager before slipping outside. "Hey, what's going on?"

"Take care of each other." A sigh escaped John's lips as he looked back at Jeremy. "Please."

"Wh--" Alaric started to question, but cut himself off at the sight of Damon coming through the trees with Elena in his arms. "They're here!"

Jeremy hesitated for a moment, sparing one last glance towards his uncle before he turned his attention to where Alaric was helping Damon get Elena set up on a couch inside.

"If you come back as a vampire, I'll stake myself. So don't," Damon muttered to Elena's still body, his voice too soft for either of the other men to hear. "Because I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever."

"How is she?" Jeremy asked.

"I don't know yet," Damon admitted, not taking his eyes off of Elena.

"What about Jenna?" Alaric asked, having hoped to see her return alongside Elena. Damon remained quiet as he looked back at Alaric, the defeated look in his eyes saying it all. Jeremy could feel his stomach drop, realizing what wasn't being said. That his aunt was really gone. "What about Brigs and Garrett?"

*~*~*~*

There was an emptiness in the air that Brigs hadn't felt in years. One that she had hoped she would never have to feel again in her lifetime-- however long it may be. Yet there she found herself the day after the sacrifice, standing in Mystic Falls Cemetery. A simple black dress hung from her thin frame while, thanks to Caroline, her dark locks were pulled back from her face in a neat braid. Which meant there was no way to hide her red rimmed eyes from the others.

Caroline and Bonnie stood on either side of her, having insisted that she ride with them to the cemetery. They-- along with everyone else-- were worried about the Turner woman. She hadn't spoken a word since she had woken up the previous afternoon. Seemingly stuck in her mind as it forced her to continue replaying Garrett's death over and over again in her head. A constant reminder of her failure. How she had been useless and incapable of saving Garrett and Jenna. How her friends were dead because of her own missteps while Klaus was still out there.

"You gonna talk to her?" Damon whispered to Alaric as they both stood a few steps back from the rest of their group. The icy eyed vampire not failing to notice the way the hunter had been watching the witch from the moment she got out of Caroline's car. Just as he'd been watching her since Stefan had appeared at the old house in the woods with her bloody body in his arms.

"And say what?" Alaric shoved his hands into the pockets of his suit jacket. Forcing himself to look away from Brigs and over to where Elena was placing roses on the graves of her parents, Jenna, Garrett, and John. "She lost her best friend, Damon. Someone she knew for who knows how long."

Damon only hummed in response before walking away, wanting to put distance between himself and the grieving party. As he left Brigs forced herself to step forward. Her gaze dropped to the trio of purple flowers in her hands, flowers that people in town were used to seeing her with on a weekly basis. Though today was no the right day for that and there she was. The others all watched as she approached the dirt covered graves of Garrett and Jenna-- Elena having suggested they be laid to rest alongside one another.

Brigs pursed her lips tightly together as she eyed the patches of dirt that were meant to represent her friends. One friend that she had only known for a handful of years but had still managed to grow close to. Someone that she felt like she could be herself around, that made her feel like she was human again. And another friend that she had known for nearly four hundred years. That she had met during a particularly low point in her life and had provided her with not only a best friend but a brother as well.

"Jag är ledsen att jag inte kunde göra bättre för er båda." Brigs whispered, just loud enough for the three vampires behind her to hear, not that they understood a word she said. Still, just the sound of her voice was enough to offer them some reassurance that she would be okay with time. "Ni är åtminstone tillsammans. Jag älskar er."

With tears filling her eyes she laid one of the purple flowers on each of their graves, alongside the roses Elena had left them. The moment the flowers were left in the dirt, Brigs didn't hesitate to walk away. Not sparing the others a glance as she walked around the collection of graves, the third flower still held tight in her grasp. Seeing her starting to leave, Alaric moved to follow after her only to be stopped by Stefan holding an arm out in front of him.

"Let her go," Stefan advised the hunter.

"She shouldn't be alone right now," Alaric frowned as they watched Brigs hurry through the various tombstones filling the cemetery before disappearing from sight altogether.

"I think that might be exactly what she needs," Stefan countered. "Like you told Damon, she just lost her best friend. She needs time to process it."